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High Notes, Vol 25 No 11, April 12 2024

From the Principal

Last Day of Term 1

Thank you to all students, staff, MICs, coaches, grounds staff, cleaners, and volunteers for a very productive term of activities aimed at enlarging the lives of our boys. We all contribute to providing a learning and playing environment in which students can thrive. A big focus each year is to get Year 7 settled in well. The Year 7 Progress Reports issued this week ought to reveal how well this goal has been achieved for individual students. Another priority is to start each stage strongly – stages 5 and 6 – with their differing demands. Teachers are busy responding to the new syllabuses as they are released, to prepare well for their implementation. We are tasked with embedding a range of strategies into Year 9 programs this year to achieve a schoolwide push towards improved outcomes in literacy and numeracy. Several Department of Education policies need our attention in term 2. We will continue with our comprehensive self-evaluation against the School Excellence Framework. In sports, the split summer season was completed with some promising results in swimming, water polo, junior rowing, and junior cricket. We are trialling Tuesday morning off season training to maintain fitness and cohesion for our athletes, in particular. I trust everyone has a relaxing break in the company of family and friends.

Funds held for the benefit of High boys.    

The ̽»¨ÊÓƵ Foundation Ltd holds funds for the benefit of the school. The SHS Advancement Fund enables tax-deductible donations to be made for the purposes of school buildings, scholarships, and student support by way of bursaries. Current funds exceed $500k. The Endowment Fund is designed to hold monies from non-tax-deductible sources – bequests, trusts, gifts and the like. Accounts for the Foundation show that as of December 31, 2023, there were the following balances within the Endowment Fund: $128,854 for the Ethel Killip Memorial Sub-Fund; $202,077 for Prizes; $140,760 for the Phil Day Memorial Scholarship Fund; $116,300 for the Student Participation Account, $100 in the Student Activities/ travel fund Account and $9,241 for the Mitchell Seow Memorial Prize.

In total, SHSF Ltd. manages $597,332 in funds for the school within the Endowment Fund. Artworks owned by or on loan to the school from the Ethel Killip Memorial Art Collection held in trust by SHSF are valued at c. $205,000. The Seow Fund is a specific prize commemorating the sudden death from unknown causes of a much-loved student who had just completed his HSC in 2005.The Student Participation Account supplements the DoE Student Equity Funds with direct financial help to students in necessitous circumstances. The Phil Day Memorial Fund finances an annual scholarship, worth $1,750, in memory of an Old Boy and long serving teacher, Head Teacher and Swimming MIC. The Prizes Fund helps to pay for some of the >$25,000 worth of prizes awarded each year to students. The Ethel Killip Memorial Fund pays for the replacement and upkeep of honour boards, memorabilia of Old Boys, photographs on walls and the Foundation artworks collection, including Na Ngara. The Student Activities/ travel fund is a beginning fund to help teams with commitments for interstate or international travel.

Historically, half of the interest earned on these managed funds is donated to the school for uses as determined by the original Fund Deeds. However, due to a sustained period of very low interest rates, interest has been retained 2014-24, in the interests of maintaining the real capital value of the funds. A secondary objective is to make these funds self-funding so that the School can rely on a predictable annual contribution to its worthy causes going forward. We are always seeking donations for any of these fund purposes. If you would like to help, contact 96629300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anzac Day Assembly 2024

"Distinguished guests Colonel Andrew White CSC – NSW Brigade Commander AAC, Lt-Colonel Andrew Bernie – CO UNSW Regiment – Commander Andrew Dale RFD RAN (retired), Commander Viv Littlewood (retired) Old Boy, Mr David Jeffrey, representing Bondi Junction-Waverley RSL Sub-Branch and Mr Ken Twyman, representing Maroubra RSL Sub-Branch, welcome to our Anzac Day assembly held on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people to whom I pay my respects and to any Aboriginal people present today. We feel it is important to hold a school Anzac Day Assembly, even if it is still two weeks until the commemoration day, as we do not return to school until April 29th. Sadly, another year has passed in the Russia-Ukraine War, without a resolution in sight. The winter counterattack by Ukraine has failed to regain significant territory and the faltering US support in the form of aid has deprived Ukraine of essential artillery ammunition, leading indirectly to the loss of Avdiivka, where Russian artillery superiority was five to one. Some countries in the EU realise that Europe has to shoulder more of the burden in supporting Ukraine if NATO is to reach a negotiated peace.

"In the Middle East on 7 October 2023, as part of the Hamas-led attack on Israel at the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups abducted 253 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and elderly people. The subsequent IDF invasion of the Gaza Strip has had catastrophic consequences for civilians in a densely populated area. The scale of destruction of housing and infrastructure is now nearly equivalent to a nuclear strike. Civilians are paying the price for the underlying issue – mutual recognition. Neither side sees the other as having any legitimacy to govern. Hamas has been the de facto government in Gaza since taking over from the Palestine Authority in 2007. Hamas is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of a Palestinian Islamic state. Israel now wants to eliminate Hamas as a military and political force. It is considered a ‘terrorist organisation’ by Israel and other states, including Australia. The recalcitrance of both sides in negotiating a decent length humanitarian ceasefire is costing tens of thousands of civilians their lives. Let us hope that a cease fire is negotiated soon and that the war does not widen to include more combatants, other than the Houthi rebels in South Yemen.

"On this occasion of honouring our military personnel past and present, I like to draw the attention of the School to some of the current theatres in which our service personnel are engaged. Operation Resolute has 600 personnel involved in protecting our borders and maritime offshore interests. Operation Kudu has 90 personnel training the armed forces of Ukraine recruits in the UK. Operation Augury is the Australian Defence Force framework in support of efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremist organisations around the world (40 personnel). Mercifully, very few of our serving ADF people are in harm’s way.

"In the Gallipoli campaign it was rare not to be in a killing zone for any moment of the eight months it lasted. After the initial ANZAC attacks of April 25-26, in 1915, the Turks counter-attacked ferociously to drive the invaders out of their land. Their heroic efforts failed with horrendous losses. By May, the Allied perimeter was relatively secure. The ANZAC commander Lieutenant-General Birdwood (having learnt nothing from the Turkish assaults) tried to take the offensive. On the evening of 2 May, the New Zealand and Australian Division launched an attack on the dominating Baby 700 position, on the route to Chunuk Bair. By daybreak, it became apparent how exposed the Australian and New Zealand positions were. The soldiers drew heavy fire from the Turks and then withdrew. Of the 1,000 men of the 16th Infantry battalion only 309 remained to answer their names. Private Silas Ellis, signaller, and artist, wrote about the 16th Battalion's roll call on 11 May: ‘Few of us are left to answer our names, just a thin line of weary, ashen-faced men, behind us a mass of silent forms, once our comrades. They have been there for some days, we have not the time to bury them’. Private Ellis survived the war and published his war sketches. His powerful, eye-witness impressions of battle reveal the random horror of death by artillery, bomb, or sniper fire before or after engagement with the enemy in combat.

"On Anzac Day, we take time out to understand more about our military history and to honour those who died for our country in all wars. We pay our respects to those who died fighting for us and never returned to their families. Their families too, were forever changed by war. We think of them today. As a society, we protect and nurture our legatees and veterans who suffer from lasting physical and mental wounds. Thank you to our marching band who will represent us at the Anzac March and also our cadets who will serve at memorials or in catafalque parties. Please play your part on our National Day of Remembrance by attending a service, watching the march, going to your local memorial to see who served and died in your suburb or just by reading or viewing material about the ANZAC tradition. Lest we forget."

Paragraph Conscious Pedagogy: Discussions

Discussions offer different points of view on an issue or topic of interest and present recommendations. Discussion structure – opening statement of the issue – differing points of view (opinions or arguments for and against the issue) – recommendation (a summary in the form of a recommendation).  What is the issue? Against – firstly, to begin with, secondly, because; For – However, on the other hand, It also could be argued; conclusion – therefore, consequently, in light of these arguments…Vocabulary used – generic terms, comparative or contrasting words, words that link arguments. Eg However, nevertheless, conversely, nonetheless, subsequently, consequently, on the other hand, similarly, likewise. In addition, furthermore, moreover, therefore, thus.
Dr K A Jaggar
Principal